Miriam to Customs: Get rid of thieves in your ranks

The petition urging Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago to conduct an inquiry on stricter rules of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) regarding the inspection of balikbayan boxes has reached the senator’s office.

In a response to the Change.org petition, which has since gained more than 81,000 signatures on Monday afternoon, Santiago slammed BoC for desecrating the boxes sent by overseas Filipino workers to their families.

She said that the government agency should first cleanse its ranks of thieves.

“It is one thing to inspect balikbayan boxes, another to desecrate them. The Bureau of Customs seems aware that balikbayan boxes, when opened by their personnel, are sometimes pillaged. What have officials done to rid their ranks of thieves?” Santiago said in a statement.

The proposed rules of the BoC include random inspection of balikbayan boxes and strict implementation of the $500 limit on dutiable and taxable items.

The senator, who is currently on qualified medical leave due to her stage 4 lung cancer, has filed Senate Resolution No. 1534 ordering the Senate to conduct an investigation on the issue in aid of legislation.

“The government must strive to achieve the delicate balance between, on the one hand, fulfilling its mandate to curb smuggling, and, on the other, protecting balikbayan boxes, which are often channels of intimate communication among families.

Further, the Bureau of Customs, in the performance of its mandate to scrutinize all shipments into the country, must constantly improve its facilities, including, among others, non-intrusive inspection equipment such as X-ray scans,” she said.

Customs maintained that the stricter regulations are aimed at curbing smuggling. It has been met with stern opposition from OFWs and their families.